The Birchbox vs Ipsy vs Sephora post series compares my Birchbox and Ipsy subscription every month to give you a good idea what you can expect from the three most popular beauty subscription boxes. (And since all 3 boxes are $10 a month, it seems fair to stack them up against each other).
If you are interested in finding other great beauty boxes, check out our Top 31 Beauty Subscription Boxes for 2017!
FYI – I pay for these subscriptions, and as a regular customer, I get one of many variations available each month. So while one month alone might not be enough info to make a decision, looking at the results over several months should give you a good picture of what to expect with each box.
Birchbox April 2017 (Check out the full Birchbox review)
Number of items: 5
Full-size items: 0
Deluxe size items: 0
Brands featured: Benefit, Tocca, Vasanti, Bumble and Bumble, Derma E
Categories featured: Skincare (2) Makeup (1) Haircare (1) Fragrance (1)
Total Value: $22
Favorite item in the box: Benefit Double the Lip in Lusty Rose
I absolutely loved the color, pigment, and finish of this lip liner/lipstick duo. Plus, it's a really great sized sample for Benefit!
Ipsy April 2017 (Check out the full Ipsy review)
Number of items: 5
Full-size items: 2
Deluxe size items: 1
Brands featured: Glamour Dolls, Jesse's Girl, Ciate, H2O+, Luseta
Categories featured: Makeup (2) Tools (1) Skincare (1) Haircare (1)
Total Value: $31
Favorite item in the box: Glamour Dolls x Lisa Frank Angle Blush Brush
I grew up on Lisa Frank, so this makeup brush made me all sorts of happy! Now I need an entire set!
Play! by Sephora April 2017 (Check out the full Play! by Sephora review)
Number of items: 6
Full-size items: 0
Deluxe size items: 2
Brands featured: Smashbox, Marc Jacobs, Kate Somerville, Make Up For Ever, Sephora, Peter Thomas Roth
Categories featured: Makeup (2) Skincare (3) Fragrance (1)
Total Value: $41
Favorite item in the box: Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream
This product is new to me and I am a little obsessed with it! It’s a gel/cream hybrid formula that absorbs almost instantly, and leaves skin feeling incredibly smooth and soft! I even applied a bit over makeup when my skin was feeling dry, and it worked great.
Verdict: My favorite this month is Ipsy. Sephora was a good value, but most of the products weren't new discoveries for me, and Birchbox felt a little familiar, too. I really loved the Glam Bag for Ipsy, and the Lisa Frank brush really made me happy! (Plus all the actual beauty products were great and good sizes, too.)
Of course, my favorite box varies every month, so here are my general suggestions for which box to pick:
Birchbox: Birchbox allows you to pick one of your samples or the curated box for each month, so if you want to have a little more control over your box, this is a good choice. They also have a ton of great high-end brands. If you are concerned about the value of your boxes, I recommend going for the curated box each month - the values with those boxes seem to be consistently good.
Ipsy: This will likely be the highest value out of all 3 boxes every month. It's also the best of the 3 if you are looking for full-size items. The one thing to keep in mind is that Ipsy samples both high-end, mid-tier, and drugstore brands, so you're going to get a mix of price point brands.
Sephora: I recommend this box for the brands - if Sephora carries the brand, it may appear in the box, which means they have a ton of inventory to pick from, and you're going to get great brands across the board. Sample sizes may be small for some products, but you get 5 beauty samples PLUS a fragrance sample.
What was your favorite box for April? And what was your favorite product?
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